siLLy puPPy The island of Jersey’s NWOHM band LEGEND may not have reached legendary status but rather is one of those bands that has earned its creds over the long haul. One of the original NWOBHM bands that formed on the self-governing British Crown Dependency of Jersey off the coast of Normandy, France, LEGEND formed quietly in 1980 in its small island enclave of less than 120 square kilometers (47 square miles) and cranked out two highly developed and accomplished albums in the early 1980s before disbanding four years later and reforming in 2002. This band is not to be confused with the legions of other LEGENDS out there including the Connecticut based prog / metal hybrid band nor the other English band from Kent.

Also developing simultaneously as Iron Maiden, early Def Leppard, Saxon and all the famous bands that have become NWOBM royalty, LEGEND remained obscure in the underground although gained enough traction to support Thin Lizzy in its 1981 UK tour. The band released both this self-titled debut album as well as the following “Death In The Nursery” independently and the original lineup featured Mike Lezala on vocals, Peter Hasworth and Marco Morosino on guitars, Eggy Aubert on bass and drummer David Whitley. The band’s origins lay in an early band called Dr. Morris which featured Haworth on vocals and Whitley on drums. After securing the proper talent, band leader Peter Haworth wrote this first album of material which sounded quite differently than the regular NWOBHM sound.

Inspired as much by Black Sabbath as Led Zeppelin, Budgie, Jimi Hendrix and other 70s hard rock / heavy metal giants, LEGEND developed a less aggressive take on the NWOBHM with elements of the Sabbath inspired doom metal dominating large chunks of its soundscape. The guitar playing more resembled the Scorpions’ original guitarist Uli Jon Roth however the band’s musical style was all its own with a less operatic vocalist delivering lyrics about politics, humanity and other subjects outside the mainstream. LEGEND also had a darker overall sound style than Iron Maiden, Angel Witch and other bands that were dominating the scene although many similarities such as the twin guitar attacks, strong bass and drum grooves and classic power chord breakdowns.

The album featured seven tracks at a typical album’s run of over 42 minutes and showcased a clear display of talent that emerged from the small but vibrant Jersey metal scene. The beauty of this debut album is how diverse it is and although clearly one of those links between the hard rock 70s and NWOBHM 80s, LEGEND truly did stand out from the crowds with Lezala’s unique vocals sounding like no other as well as a greater emphasis on slower traditional doom metal grooves that alternate with the more upbeat NWOBHM styles. The sound on this low budget debut is as you would expect, namely raw and focused more on the compositions rather than any slick production tricks. The band excelled at what it performed and therefore must have been a captivating live act as it performed regularly for its small island population base.

Definitely one of those worthy from the vaults sort of bands that had the talent to take things much further but just out of the reach of developing anything larger despite some significant exposure on the Thin Lizzy tour. Strong songwriting, strong musicianship and a unique band sound that set them apart keeps LEGEND relevant some four decades later after its initial run. Its reformation in 2002 only continues to gain the band more attention with an album coming out as recently as 2013’s “The Dark Place.” LEGEND continues to record new material well into the 21st century but none is as compelling as this earliest raw recordings of the band’s first years. LEGEND’s debut album is definitely a nice addition to your NWOBHM collection once you’ve exhausted the usual suspects.

adg211288 Discovering this wondrous thing called metal during the 2000's definitely wasn't to be sniffed at. By the time I really started to get invested in heavy music it had already done most of its evolving into the sub-genres we all know these days (and of course it still continues to evolve to this day). This time of discovery meant that the whole nu metal movement was on the decline, which many would say was dodging a bullet. But it also meant that younger metalheads like myself missed out on being there during what is arguably the most important movement that metal ever had or ever will have bar its original genesis in the early seventies: the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWoBHM). Sure, we still get to experience it through the recordings left behind, but while we'll all know of those who made it to become household names like Iron Maiden, Saxon or Angel Witch, many of us will miss those more obscure hidden gems that never got the same kind of attention or later reissues.

One of these gems is Death in the Nursery (1982) by Legend, a band hailing from Jersey. This album actually was reissued in 2012, but only on vinyl, a format that it has never been released beyond. A digital copy does appear on the US Amazon site, but this is not a privilege also accorded to the UK site. Since they are a band out of the NWoBHM I find that something of a kick in the teeth. Luckily, Legend's unsung classic is available for streaming via Spotify. Legend are in fact still going, having reformed in 2002 following an original 1984 split, and have released a further two studio albums, most recently in 2013. Death in the Nursery was their second and until 2003, their last.

What makes this one so good? Well for a start it comes across as pretty heavy for 1982. The riffs from sole guitarist Peter Haworth are full of bite and the band's production has more grit to it than the more polished work of say, Iron Maiden. I can't rightly say that Death in the Nursery was the heaviest heavy metal around back then, though as metal hadn't quite taken the leap forward in aggression that was thrash metal, though a bit of speed metal was about, but it seems to me as it must have been up there with the most metal driven work, lacking any kind of lingering attachment to hard rock. Furthermore, it's played with a passion and conviction that's infectious and often absent in modern heavy metal which comes drenched in so much modern production values that it just doesn't seem to have as much soul as this and other NWoBHM.

Even listening for the first time in 2018 it's impressive and brings a big smile to my face, so I can't even begin to imagine what it would have been like hearing it for the first time when it was new. I mean sure, it's not The Number of the Beast, released the same year and widely considered the finest album of the NWoBHM, but all the same I don't hear a single damn reason why Death in the Nursery should be considered any less essential to the NWoBHM canon as that seminal album. And in its title track they have what could easily be attributed to an early progressive metal song thanks to its complex instrumental break, which definitely sounds like it's before it's time. The earliest release I've heard that I'd describe as progressive metal is Siren's No Place Like Home from 1986, a whole four years after this and even though it's only one song here and only a section of it at that, that one part seems a whole lot more overt that anything else that would appear for a long time.

Legend and Death in the Nursery deserve better than it has been given so far. For starters it should at least be sold digitally all over and not just in America (again I mean come on it's a NWoBHM album and we can't purchase even an mp3 version in the UK? Lame!) and it certainly deserves a physical release beyond the vinyl. After thirty-six years a CD is long overdue. Come on Legend and record labels that specialise in old classics: make it happen! This masterpiece deserves it.

Kev Rowland This is not the progressive rock band of the same name, nor the American version, but rather a British band that have been doing this for quite some time now. When I put this on the player I was rather surprised to hear good old NWOBHM, a genre I am particularly fond of as I was 16 back in 1979 when this started to really kick off and is a genre that I spent a lot of time investigating. But, it was only when looking further into this band that I realized that they’re not just recreating the sounds of that time, but are survivors of that period themselves. I have scoured my collection and don’t appear to have any of their music, but according to ‘The International Encyclopedia of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal’ from 1983 (which has a wonderful picture of Mick Box on the cover), it says “Since releasing their first album in 1981 Legend have gone from strength to strength. Their work mixes nice harmonious guitar with some savage metal”. And in 30 odd years nothing has really changed. Singer Mick Leszala and guitarist Pete Haworth has picked up some additional bandmates over the intervening period, but what we have here is classic NWOBHM with some elements of Witchfynde, Witchfinder General, Def Leppard and White Spirit. I don’t know why they aren’t as well known as many of their contemporaries, but this is an album that made me smile and had me nodding along with the songs. Not exactly essential, but a fun experience all the same.